Center for Design & the City Program Convenes National Sustainability Experts and Public-Private Partnership Teams from Denver, Los Angeles, Tucson and Greensboro, N.C., to Create Innovative and Actionable Design Solutions

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on Google+Share on LinkedInEmail a friend

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) June 03, 2013

The Sustainable Cities Design Academy, a program of the Center for Design & the City at the American Architectural Foundation, will convene June 5–7, 2013, in Washington, D.C. Over the course of three days, city leaders, developers and design professionals representing Denver, Los Angeles, Tucson and Greensboro, N.C., will collaborate with nationally recognized experts in sustainable design to maximize the potential for sustainability of four in-process public-private partnership projects:

Denver: The 40th/Colorado Transit Oriented Development is planning to redevelop a commuter rail station in a former industrial district on the FasTracks’ East Rail Line, which connects downtown Denver to the Denver International Airport. Concurrently, the Urban Land Conservancy is planning to develop a nine-acre parcel within the five-minute walking radius of the station. The Regional Transportation District will develop the station, while the City and County of Denver will work to resolve connectivity and drainage issues in the area.

Los Angeles: United Technologies Corp.’s Warner Center is a 46-acre former Rocketdyne industrial site north of downtown Los Angeles developed by Boston Global Investors, LLC, with support from HOK and Vanderweil Engineers, LLP. The proposed project calls for a central park surrounded by six mixed-use development blocks. The focus is now on such aspects of the plan as water conservation strategies, building-specific energy efficiency mandates, cogeneration/central plant feasibility and landscape design parameters.

Tucson: The Downtown Links project is a $76.1-million component of a twenty-year multi-modal transportation plan. It includes a four-lane, 1.3-mile roadway connecting Barrazza-Aviation Parkway southeast of downtown Tucson with Interstate 10 to the west. The project team consists of the City’s Transportation Department, the University of Arizona, HDR Engineering, Inc. and Wheat Scharf Associates. Their goal is to best align the corridor with the existing Warehouse Arts District and a new trolley line. Other proposed improvements to the corridor area include substantial bike, pedestrian and drainage improvements as well as the preservation and reuse of several historic structures.

Greensboro, N.C.: Integral City is an arts-led economic development project fostering connectivity and collaboration throughout downtown Greensboro. The project team includes Elsewhere (a living museum coupled with an artist residency program), the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, Action Greensboro and North Carolina A&T University’s Architectural Engineering Department. This partnership is interested in strengthening grassroots arts leadership in Greensboro, catalyzing redevelopment of Greensboro’s historic urban core and restoring connections to underserved neighborhoods, educational and cultural institutions and the city’s burgeoning Greenway.

“The Sustainable Cities Design Academy is a marquee program of our Center for Design & the City,” said Ronald E. Bogle, Hon. AIA, president and chief executive officer of the American Architectural Foundation. “Through convening intensive and diverse design collaborations, it has served more than thirty urban communities and helped to elevate the quality of life in those communities.”

The Sustainable Cities Design Academy was established in partnership with United Technologies Corp. (UTC) in 2009. UTC is the presenting sponsor of the program.

About the Center for Design & the City
The Center for Design & the City at the American Architectural Foundation is an international platform for the development and implementation of innovative urban forms that promote economic, social, cultural and environmental vibrancy. Its efforts coalesce at the intersection of design, public policy and technology. More information is available at http://www.archfoundation.org.

About United Technologies Corp. (UTC)
United Technologies Corp. is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries. Its commercial businesses are Otis elevators and escalators and UTC Climate, Controls & Security, which includes Carrier heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems; building controls and automation from brands such as Automated Logic and Lenel; as well as fire and security solutions from brands such as Kidde and Chubb. Its aerospace businesses are Sikorsky helicopters and support; Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines; and UTC Aerospace Systems advanced aerospace and defense products. More information is available at http://www.utc.com.
More prweb.com